


Mischievous Intent

by frozenCinders



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Dark Irregulars, M/M, Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Relationships, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9367748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: "A week? That's too long to have to wait..." He released Satoru and brought a hand to his chin. "But I suppose I'll take over anyway. I'll just see Scarlet's reaction in a week.""Wait, take over? What do you mean by that?""Oh, take over the castle, of course."





	

The thought had occurred to him more than once, but Satoru was sure Frederick must have been able to read minds when he hopped through the window as soon as Satoru started lamenting his loneliness. Scharhrot was away for a time, "around a week" he'd said, and it only took about 5 hours for Satoru to start missing him. Frederick smiled at him and hopped onto the bed, pulling Satoru into a hug that was probably too tight on purpose.

"So Scarlet's gone, huh?" he asked, loosening his grip enough to let Satoru breathe. "He pretended to beef up his security, but I'm not so easily fooled. He's very understaffed and nowhere to be found."

"He's away for the moment, yes..." Satoru confirmed, seeing no point in trying to lie. Frederick was allegedly a master of deception, so any attempts would only serve to amuse him, most likely.

"Perfect. When's he coming back?"

"Ah... he said about a week, but he could come home sooner or later than that."

"A week? That's too long to have to wait..." He released Satoru and brought a hand to his chin. "But I suppose I'll take over anyway. I'll just see Scarlet's reaction in a week."

"Wait, take over? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, take over the castle, of course," Frederick explained, smug and assured. Even if he wasn't too strong for Scharhrot to defeat with ease, Frederick did say the castle was understaffed. Scharhrot probably set up some kind of illusion to make it seem like there were more guards outside, or something along those lines.

"So you're only doing this to see his reaction..?" Satoru asked, vaguely realizing he should be scared for his life. Frederick proved to be too playful for Satoru to really fear him anymore.

"Sure am. So you'll be my pet in the meantime..."

"I can't agree with that," Satoru said firmly.

"No..? Did you agree to being Scarlet's in the first place?"

... He had him there. But this was different. It was a matter of loyalty now, rather than one of not realizing he needed to depend on Scharhrot to survive in Dark Zone.

"Because my pet agreed to be mine. My servants brought him to me, claiming he was an otherworlder like you, and I asked if he'd like to be mine. He didn't even bother contemplating it, just said yes right away. He's so cute..."

Satoru nodded to show he was listening, wishing he could go back in time somehow and be compliant from the beginning like that.

"So how'd you meet Scarlet? Did he drag you here in ropes until you gave in?"

He thought for a moment about the best way to phrase the story.

"When I first... appeared here on Cray, it was in the middle of the woods around the castle, at night. I was trying to find my bearings when I felt something at my back and I heard him say I smelled delicious. He bit me, and that was... well..."

"Painful, I would imagine?"

"Yes. He bit me a few times, actually, and said he'd overeaten. He told me I... tasted too good to waste, so he picked me up and carried me here. He gave me my own room and a surprising amount of freedom and only asked that I call him master. In hindsight, I'm not sure why I was so opposed to it."

"What made you come around? And this is irrelevant but is it true that vampires can't eat garlic?"

"... What? I don't think so. Um, anyway-"

"Don't think they can or don't think it's true?"

"I don't believe it's true."

"Ah... what about mirrors? He can see his reflection just fine, right? Or no?"

"Well... technically, he's never mentioned whether or not he can see his own reflection, but I can see it."

"Interesting..."

"But, ah... the reason I "came around" is that I experienced firsthand how dangerous Dark Zone is. I almost died, but he found and saved me just in time."

"Just in time, huh? Seems a little convenient."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that he could have been watching for a bit before deciding to rescue you. Probably to teach you a lesson, which certainly seems to have worked."

Satoru stood up, offended by the accusation.

"He wasn't. He just didn't realize I was missing until then."

"And you know this for a fact?"

"It's what I believe."

He felt like his belief should be wavering, but Satoru couldn't bring himself to consider the possibility in the slightest.

"That's fine. I have to say I really don't care either way."

Frederick pulled Satoru back down to sit on his lap.

"I'll need to stay here until Scarlet gets back so I can see his reaction in person, so I'll be stuck here for a week. Would you like to keep me company?"

Satoru wanted to say no after the conversation they'd just had, but he realized he would certainly get lonely again in no time.

"What will you be doing here?" he asked, avoiding the question as he was still reluctant to say yes.

"Oh, getting my scent all over you, stealing Scarlet's sweets, greeting him in his own throne, making him schedule an appointment to see me... anything I can think of that'll piss him off."

"... I see. May I ask why you hate him so much..?"

"I don't. What makes you ask?"

Frederick was impossible to read as usual- Satoru suddenly realized everyone in Dark Zone seemed to be that way. Perhaps it was a Cray thing, then. Or just that the Dark Irregulars were as unpredictable as the name would suggest.

"You're always trying to get on his nerves, and he said the only reason you're both around is because you can't kill each other."

"I could kill Scarlet if I really applied myself, probably. But where's the fun in that?" he answered with a smile.

Satoru tried and failed to pull away from Frederick, still being held tight against him on his lap.

"I'm sure Scarlet has too many sweets to exhaust all on my own, so I'll be stuffing you full of them, too."

"I- um..." Satoru considered telling Frederick that he preferred to watch his weight, but that may very well encourage him.

"You..?"

"I don't like sweet food," he lied, hoping that was somehow better.

"Hm... is this a common thing among otherworlders, then?"

Did Frederick's pet dislike sweets? Satoru wondered if he'd lied himself out of the same situation.

"Oh well. Whether you like it or not, you're at least eating some when Scarlet gets here. I have a plan."

"Ah, may I ask why you call him that?"

"My little pet must have heard his name wrong, because he called him that first. I thought it was cute, so I started using it."

Frederick's eyes suddenly lit up, his smile softening into something less cruel.

"You know what? Why don't I pass the time by telling you stories about him?"

He phrased it like a question, but Satoru was sure he couldn't opt out. Frederick managed to talk his ear off for the rest of the day, leading him around the castle as he looked for Scharhrot's room, never having navigated between the two rooms on the inside. Frederick was quite fond of sneaking in through windows rather than dealing with security at the front door.

Frederick finally let him go to prepare for bed, but seemingly changed his mind and grabbed Satoru's wrist.

"If you're going to be my pet for a week, you'll need to act like it. So give me a kiss goodnight," he said, turning his head and tapping his cheek.

Satoru was tired and he'd been on his feet for a good portion of the day, so he gave Frederick a quick peck and walked away so he could go to bed already.

"If you want to sleep with me, I'm here. I prefer having a soft pet to hold anyway," Frederick offered, stopping Satoru in his tracks. Even if it wasn't Scharhrot, Satoru did enjoy being cuddled, and Frederick seemed much more affectionate than Scharhrot.

The temptation was surprisingly difficult to resist and Satoru turned on his heel and followed Frederick into Scharhrot's room.

"Aw... does Scarlet not hold you?"

"Sometimes..."

"Only sometimes? Now, that's just cruel. I'll have a word with him later."

Satoru honestly couldn't tell if he was joking.

"Why isn't he here?" Satoru asked, rummaging through Scharhrot's wardrobe for some of his own clothes that ended up there. "Your pet, I mean."

"Too dangerous. I have someone watching him while I'm here. Why, would you like to meet him? Have a little play date?"

"Maybe sometime," Satoru shrugged, walking to the bathroom with his clothes in hand. It wasn't as if Frederick hadn't seen him naked before, but he saw no reason for it to happen again.

When Satoru climbed into bed with him, Frederick immediately pulled him close. Satoru got comfortable more easily than he expected, indeed appreciating the arms around him even if they weren't Scharhrot's. Satoru relaxed and snuggled into Frederick's chest, enjoying the warmth. He felt more than heard him chuckle and kiss the top of Satoru's head.

* * *

 

After a full week of a surprisingly pleasant time with Frederick, a servant approached the two in the throne room to tell Frederick that Scharhrot was approaching the castle. He smiled and dismissed them with a request for cake and sat on the throne, beckoning Satoru over.

"Come, you just have to play along for a little while longer," he said, voice light despite the order.

He knew it was just a front, but Frederick had seemed oddly kind for the entire week, never once breaking the facade as far as Satoru knew. He walked over and let Frederick pull him down into his lap, weaving his fingers through Satoru's hair and giving him a little head massage. This, like many other things Frederick had done over the week, made Satoru wish Scharhrot was as affectionate as him.

When the cake arrived, Frederick took a forkful and pressed it to Satoru's lips. He obediently ate it, fully expecting a kiss as he did so. The next thing to touch his lips was just another forkful of cake, however.

"Please don't make me overeat," he said, though the concept didn't sound too bad with how good the cake was. It was red velvet with cream cheese icing between the layers and chocolate frosting on the outside.

Frederick didn't respond, holding another forkful to his mouth and slipping his other hand up Satoru's shirt to rest on his waist. Just after he touched him, the double doors to the throne room flew open.

Satoru turned around to see who it was, smearing a bit of frosting on his face as he did so, which earned a chuckle out of Frederick.

"Hey, Scarlet. Like my new castle?" he greeted, nonchalantly continuing to feed Satoru the cake. He opened his mouth for one last bite before trying to get up, but Frederick's arms were immediately around him. He'd set the fork down quicker than Satoru could see.

"Satoru. Get off of him," Scharhrot ordered, glaring at Frederick, who only smiled back.

"I'm trying..."

"How come? You were so good for me all week!"

"Is this true, Satoru?"

Satoru's heart sank, suddenly feeling unfaithful.

"Has he been here for the entire week?" Scharhrot finished, inspiring significant relief in Satoru.

"Yes, master. He arrived a few hours after you left," he answered, making another attempt to pull away from Frederick.

"Release him, Frederick."

"Oh? What an unreasonable demand, trying to get me to hand my pet over. What next? Will you ask for my castle as well?"

"I am in no mood for your games," Scharhrot warned, though Frederick remained unfazed.

"Hmm... I don't remember agreeing on a time to meet with you. Why don't you schedule an appointment for when you _are_ in the mood?"

"What do you want from me, Frederick? Territory? Funds?"

"Oh, I ate some of your cake, by the way. My pet here helped." Frederick emphasized that he meant Satoru by giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Frederick. How do I end this?"

"Ah, and I had to kill one of your servants. Hopefully not a favorite of yours. That would be ever so tragic."

"How do I make you go home, Frederick?"

"This _is_ my home, Scarlet! But if you want me to relocate... hmm..." Frederick removed an arm from around Satoru to tap his chin in thought. "Ah, I have an idea."

"What is it?" Scharhrot sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Oh, nothing, really. Just tell me you love me."

Silence ensued.

"Satoru, come here," Scharhrot ordered again.

"No, pet. Stay," Frederick commanded, grip tightening around his waist. Satoru gave an effort to escape anyway, but failed again.

"Why must you be so unreasonable?"

"Ah... I'm sorry-"

"Not you," Scharhrot assured, still glaring daggers at Frederick.

"You're the one being unreasonable. The great Scharhrot Vampir can't even speak a simple phrase? That's almost impressive in itself."

"You would have me lie to your face?"

"But here's the thing, Scarlet: I'll still have gotten you to say it, whether you mean it or not. So say it, unless you don't care about your pet, castle, territory, and so on."

The silence returned until Frederick planted a kiss on Satoru's forehead, the gesture apparently killing the last of Scharhrot's patience.

"How exactly should I say it? I am not repeating it because you weren't pleased with it."

"Hmm... I wasn't going to say anything, but you know what? I think I'd like you on your knees, looking meek as you say it."

Scharhrot visibly trembled with rage, clearly having trouble keeping his expression neutral. Reluctantly, he slowly lowered himself onto his knees in a bow.

"Oh, actually, raise your hands against your chest like a dog begging for treats."

"No."

"I guess you don't want your castle back, then... I'm sorry, Satoru, looks like your previous master doesn't love you after all..."

Scharhrot's claws scraped against the tile as he curled them into fists. He raised himself up and got into the specified position, an extremely rare flush of embarrassment making itself known across his cheeks. He took a moment to mentally prepare himself.

"I love you," he mumbled, immediately dropping out of the position and baring his fangs as Frederick laughed at him, releasing Satoru as he did.

"See, Satoru? We don't hate each other," Frederick laughed, hopping off of the throne as Scharhrot stood, no doubt ready to lunge at him.

"Leave," Scharhrot ordered through gritted teeth.

"Already on it. Next time, don't leave the place so under-protected. What if someone with malicious intent took over? How humiliating would that be?" Frederick taunted, knowing full well he'd already thoroughly humiliated Scharhrot as it were.

"I'll remember this next time you leave your pet unattended," Scharhrot threatened, earning a scoff from Frederick.

"Ah, but the very fact that you're saying this means you won't do anything. I'll see you later, my love," he cooed, blowing a kiss at Scharhrot as he fell backwards out of one of the windows. Scharhrot sprinted forward, magic crackling in his hands, but he couldn't seem to find Frederick outside.

"Satoru," Scharhrot addressed, the magic fading with his anger.

"Yes, master?" Satoru took a few steps forward, always wary and unsure of exactly how magic worked and if any lingering energy could harm him.

"Did he sleep with you?"

"Ah... we didn't have sex, but we did sleep together. Every night. He held me..."

"Held you?" Scharhrot turned to look at him, already seeming calmer.

"Yes. He held me close as we slept. Um... we cuddled, basically."

Scharhrot seemed to contemplate Satoru's answer, eyes downcast as he allowed silence to fill the room again, though much less tense than before.

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked, walking to Satoru and resting the backs of his fingers against his cheek. The coolness of his hand startled Satoru, as he'd gotten used to the warm human touch of Frederick over the week.

"Well... yes," he answered honestly, "but I would have preferred if it were you."

Scharhrot closed his eyes and let his hand fall away from Satoru.

"Tonight, then," he said. Satoru blinked.

"Tonight?"

"I'll just have to outdo him," Scharhrot clarified, bringing a tiny smile to Satoru's face. It seemed Frederick had unintentionally done him a nice favor.


End file.
